BlockSite alternative: local-first, and Pro is a one-time purchase

Why people look for a BlockSite alternative

Three practical reasons, each readable in BlockSite's own listing and pricing page on Oct 23, 2026. None of them is a defect — cross-device blocking is what the subscription pays for — but they are the three things to weigh.

• It is a subscription. Premium is a recurring plan (pricing), not a one-time purchase.
• The Chrome listing discloses data handling. Its privacy panel reads "…handles the following: Web history" (privacy details).
• The Firefox extension has lagged. While Chrome and Edge receive active updates, the official Firefox add-on has not been updated since April 25, 2024 (AMO listing).

BlockSite vs WhyFirst (as of Oct 23, 2026)

Subscription vs one-time

BlockSite sells Premium as a subscription. Its own pricing page states that Premium removes the limit on the sites and apps you can block and carries a 30-day guarantee (blocksite.co/pricing). We are deliberately not repeating plan prices here: subscription prices change and the vendor's checkout is the only current source, so read it before you decide.

WhyFirst's Pro is a single purchase: $7.99 at the launch price for the first 100 users, $16 afterwards, with a 7-day money-back guarantee. It is a lifetime entitlement for the browser extension — no renewal, no per-device fee. The difference is not that one is cheap; it is what you are buying. A subscription buys an ongoing service with ongoing obligations on the vendor's side. A one-time purchase buys the version of the product you bought plus the Pro features the extension ships later.

That is also the honest limit of the comparison: BlockSite's subscription funds mobile apps and cross-device sync, which WhyFirst does not have.

Blocking vs asking why

A blocklist has one failure mode: you remove the entry. Sometimes that is a five-second decision made at 11pm, sometimes it needs a password you deliberately hid. The tool assumes the disciplined you wins.

An intent check assumes the opposite — that the disciplined you is not always at the keyboard, and that naming a reason in the moment is enough to change the outcome often enough to matter. When a site you added is about to open, WhyFirst pauses it with its check-in, asks why, and accepts a written reason, a daily exception, or a closed tab. It does not block, and it will not stop you.

Which one holds depends on what has failed before. If you have uninstalled every blocker you installed, a blocker you can argue with is probably the wrong shape. If you keep finding yourself on a site for an hour and cannot remember deciding to go there, a question at the door is the cheaper intervention. Many people land on both: a hard block on two sites, a question on ten.

What each store listing discloses about data

Quoting what each product's own Chrome Web Store listing says, as shown on Oct 23, 2026. This is not an assessment of either product.

BlockSite. Its Chrome Web Store privacy panel reads: "…handles the following: Web history" (privacy details). "Web history" is one of Chrome Web Store's standard disclosure categories; the category and its description are defined by Google, not by BlockSite. The same listing states that data is "Not being sold to third parties, outside of the approved use cases."

WhyFirst. The privacy policy states the flow: rules, reasons and statistics live in your browser's local storage; AI judgment is off by default; when enabled, your written reason, the domain and the purpose you set for that site go to the AI endpoint you chose; browsing history, full URLs and page content are never sent. An account exists only if you buy Pro or use the hosted AI endpoint.

If you want a tool whose listing discloses no data handling at all, LeechBlock NG declares exactly that on its own listing — see the LeechBlock comparison.

Where BlockSite wins — and where WhyFirst does

Switching: start with five sites

There is no import step; adding rules by hand is the supported path.

1. Pick the three to five sites where you most often arrive without having decided to.
2. Add each in WhyFirst and write its purpose in one sentence. A specific purpose makes the check-in useful; a vague one makes it a formality.
3. Keep both tools for a week. Leave BlockSite's hard block on the sites that must stay closed; let WhyFirst handle the ones you still need to visit on purpose.
4. If you find yourself spending every exception on the same site, that site belongs back in the blocker.

FAQ

Is there a BlockSite alternative without a subscription?

Yes. WhyFirst's Pro is a one-time purchase ($7.99 at the launch price for the first 100 users, regular $16), and LeechBlock NG is free and open source — see the LeechBlock comparison. Neither replaces BlockSite's cross-device blocking.

What does BlockSite's Chrome Web Store listing disclose about data?

Its privacy panel reads "…handles the following: Web history", with the full detail on the privacy details page, as shown on Oct 23, 2026. The category name comes from Chrome Web Store's standard form.

Does WhyFirst block sites completely?

No. WhyFirst is soft friction: every rule can be bypassed with a daily exception or turned off. If a site must stay closed, use a hard blocker.

Is WhyFirst free?

Free is free forever: up to 5 site rules, a fixed check-in pause, 3 daily exceptions and 30 AI intent judgments after you verify your account. Pro is $7.99 one-time at the launch price for the first 100 users (regular $16), including unlimited site rules and path rules.

Does WhyFirst work on Firefox?

Yes. WhyFirst has listings on Firefox Add-ons, the Chrome Web Store and Edge Add-ons.

Try WhyFirst

Install WhyFirst free. Path rules and unlimited site rules are part of Pro.

Install WhyFirst free · Privacy policy

Last updated: Nov 2, 2026. BlockSite figures and disclosures were read from its Chrome Web Store listing and pricing page on Oct 23, 2026; subscription prices are deliberately left to the vendor's checkout. Related: StayFocusd alternative, LeechBlock alternative, all website blocker comparisons. Spotted an error? Email support@whyfirst.app.